Contacts ‘more important than university’, say young people

Knowing “the right people” is more important than going to university when it comes to being successful, according to a survey of more than 2,000 11-to-16-year-olds.

In the annual survey of pupil perceptions, carried out by social mobility charity the Sutton Trust and published on the day thousands of young people received their A-level results, 75 per cent of respondents said that having the right connections was important to getting on in life.

However, just under two-thirds—65 per cent—said they thought it was important to go to university to be successful. This figure has fallen from a high of 86 per cent in 2013, with the proportion who feel that going to university is not important rising from 11 per cent in 2013 to 20 per cent this year.